Burnout Developer Hiring For New Open-World Racer

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Richard Walker

Criterion, the UK-based developer behind Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and the Burnout series, has posted a series of positions on its Criterion Blog, including vacancies for an AI Programmer, Senior Physics Programmer and Lead Software Engineer to join the development team in Guildford.

"Our current ambition requires an innovative programmer to deliver killer entertainment experiences with believable, open world AI Racing Drivers" reads the AI Programmer overview, while the listing for a Lead Software Engineer is looking for someone to "help create a new extension to the existing Criterion team focusing on developing on new platforms."

This could be Criterion hiring for a new project or indeed projects, but what that could be is uncertain. It's possible that the developer could be preparing to start work on another instalment of Burnout or the studio could be planning an open-world Need for Speed, capitalising on the success of Hot Pursuit.

The "new platforms" aspect mentioned in the job listings is another intriguing part of these listings too. Could Criterion be looking at starting development on Burnout or Need for Speed on the next generation of consoles, rumoured to be surfacing withing the next couple of years? It's a long shot, but entirely possible.

Criterion is also currently preparing to release Burnout CRASH! on the Xbox Live Arcade, offering a top-down take on the popular crash junctions from the Burnout series. Burnout CRASH! is out later this month.

[Via Videogamer]

Comments
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  • oh man i loved burnout paradise i really hope its a new open world burnout type game
  • Whatever they are doing, Burnout or NFS would be a very welcomed first day release for the next gen consoles. SOLD !
  • Welcome indeed! P.S This motherfucker that keeps posting about Ed Hardy rip offs needs to be banned
  • I still need to complete revenge one day. Love the burnout games.
  • I think with the news of burnout crash & the popularity of hot pursuit, then this was an obvious move. :) I recently got really into Paradise. I love it, I would be looking forward to this more than a NFS.
  • OMG YES!!!!! burnout games are AMAZING,and filled to the brim with stuff to do,still havnt completed paradise
  • Will give it a miss if its open world. I prefer racing games where you can just pick a car pick an event and race. Plus the open world tracks all end up being a bit bland, samey and boring. I prefer the design and imagination that goes into single tracks. Pity because Burnout is one of my fave series of games. Paradise just ruined it for me. Everything was there, great graphics, great handling, great cars. Its just the constant travelling to find events bores me to tears.
  • If it's anything like Burnout Paradise, then count me in. I loved Paradise, especially the online modes and challenges :)
  • WOOP WOOP ! That would be all.
  • @8 EXACTLY how I feel, Paradise was an ok game but it was nothing compared to Revenge, they need to go back to menu style like in NFS
  • please be a direct sequel to Paradise!!! (with proper crash junctions!) :D
  • Re-make Burnout 3!
  • I never pre-order games, but a Burnout Paradise 2 would change that. Played the first one for 200+ hours and enjoyed every minute of it.
  • Open-world? Again? Really?..
  • Man I wish I knew how to do those jobs - office is only 5 miles away from my house, sigh. OT loved BP and would more than welcome another in the same openworldy racing environment.
  • i loved burnout paradise but i think its time they go back to burnout 3/ burnout revenge type of gameplay. everything was action packed, you didnt get lost and it just felt a lot better
  • I really want them to return to Burnout 3 and 4 days. I didn't enjoy Paradise nearly as much. I also hope they bring back the soundtracks of Burnout 1 and 2, like they did in paradise. Burnout 2's main theme is still one of my favorites to race to. Also wasn't it someone at Criterion who said they will only hire someone with over 20,000 gamer score? Or am I thinking of someone else? I'd love to work for them, but I don't even have the time with my current job to sit down for an interview if I ever got one :(
  • I liked Burnout Paradise, but I sucked at it. I can't do stunts to save my life.
  • I never got to play burnout 1+2, but burnout 3 revenge is one of the best racing games I've played to date. I'm going to hope and pray and this is equally jut as good as revenge/takedown/paradise.
  • Seems like there is way too many arcady racers out there these days. Hard to get excited about this news as well....
  • Please let it be a new Burnout.
  • I liked the idea of picking different crash junctions and races, paradise was disappointing to say the least. I'd much prefer something similar to revenge
  • If it's anything like Paradise I will not buy it the thing that was good about paradise was the cars and marked man mode online that's it so if they make it like Revenge and add marked man then I'll buy it until then I'll just keep hoping.
  • ohmygod yess love burnout..cant wait for a new one :D
  • I hope it's alot like Paradise, really enjoyed the online modes, especially the challenges. I really liked being able to make your own races too.
  • After clocking up over 200 hours just doing stunt runs in the Airfield on Paradise, I hope to god this IS another burnout game! :D
  • Love BO paradise never got roung to finishing it or even starting it on this profile. p.s. remake burnout 3, epic game.
  • hope they go back to the racing and crashing style of burnout revenge, paradise was a big bag of shit.
  • Or maybe X360A, other platforms might mean the Wii U or Vita as its the only annonced next gen platforms at the moment.
  • I love all burnout games iv maxed both out achievements wise... I hope it's not a nfs game cos I thought hot pursuit was a let down
  • Agree with #28 - Paradise was a let down - I understand developers looking to try new and different things with games, but the "openness" or paradise just took everything away from what Burnout has always been: fun. I'm disappointed already, but I'll just have to wait and see and give ti a shot when it comes out.
  • The one thing we do best in the U.K IMO is the racing genre
  • I think i despratley need a poo
  • seriously, paradise and hot pursuit were pretty weak offerings compared to burnout 3, or even Revenge. they NEED to go back to what made burnout awesome. amazing courses, spectacular crash spots, and a fucking menu system. leave the open world mediocrity to need for speed.
  • Now we all BO Paradise was some shit but NFS Hot Pursuit was actully pretty decent I just hope they listen to the fans and put BO the way it was and add Marked Man for online.
  • I really hope that they put split screen in their next racing game. Anyways, anything Criterion makes is EPIC
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